


East Is Up (Dema Don't Control Us)

by twenty_one_regrets



Category: Trench - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: DEMA (Twenty One Pilots), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Torture, i was: bored, im sorry, tyler and jenna are cute in this one, you're gonna get mad at tyler a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-03-13 21:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18949315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twenty_one_regrets/pseuds/twenty_one_regrets
Summary: Tyler thinks of Dema as his home. He doesn't know much other than serving Nico and staying indoors. Josh has escaped, and when he comes back he tells Tyler about everything he saw. Tyler isn't sure he should follow him, leaving behind the only place he knows.





	1. ||Dema don't control us?||

It hadn’t been long since Tyler last saw his best friend Josh. It was last week, but now he was nowhere to be found. Dema was always kind of quiet unless someone was reported as an escapee. That’s when alarms were set off and all nine bishops went out in horses in a hunt. It had been a week since he heard the alarms and his ears still rang. He wasn’t used to the loud sounds, Dema was always kind of quiet.

Tyler feared that maybe Josh had attempted an escape. He never really thought this of him, Josh always seemed like a chill dude and he almost never complained. He kept saying something about silence, how deafening it was. Tyler understood, even if it seemed like it didn’t make sense. He was hoping that, if Josh had escaped, he wouldn’t be caught. He missed him of course, but Bishops are cruel with their punishments, publicly humiliating and torturing the failed attempts.

That was the main reason as to why he didn’t even want to try. He felt as if he wasn’t good enough, so he never did. He was aware sometimes Banditos infiltrated the Dema database, managing to sneak past sensors and security cameras to take some souls out of this environment. Tyler had seen them, through his windows, hiding behind artificial lightbulbs and watching the torches they carried. He wasn’t brave enough to walk to them.

Today the bells of the main tower startled him out of his thoughts. It was the hour they had to get up to serve their bishops. Tyler wished he was born in Keons’ district, being the less harsh of the bishops, he was mostly forgiving. Unfortunately, he was born in Nico’s district, he was the most powerful of the nine. His tower is taller than the rest, unforgiving and strict.

Tyler made his way to the praying grounds after getting dressed in proper grey-toned clothes and kneeled down in his spot. His spot was right next to his mother, in between her and his father, as he was the oldest child. His siblings would kneel on either side of his parents. After everyone made their way down, and the spots were covering up the gravel, Nico made his presence on the podium. Everyone, respectfully, kept their heads down waiting for further instructions.

Soon, Nico’s powerfully loud voice echoed through the area and bounced off the walls. Everyone looked up at him, paying attention to his words. Nico raised his hands and moved them downwards, the lightbulb in front of him slowly lighting up with the movement. Everyone cheered, including Tyler, clapping and smiling at the piece of artificial light. When the lightbulb was fully lighted they all had to chant some words Tyler never knew the meaning of. The words sounded like complete gibberish to Tyler, but he chanted them anyway.

“Tsurt ew msilaiv ni, eveileb ew smilaiv ni”

The whole area chanted again and again, like a mantra. Enough times that it sounded like only one voice, echoing through the empty spaces and ringing through Tyler’s ears. When the lightbulb finally exploded, everyone fell silent, looking up at Nico and gazing with respect. Tyler could feel his knees bleeding by now, but it’s okay. It’s a simple sacrifice in return for what Nico gives them; a home, food, a family and most importantly, something to believe in.

When a few more minutes of silence has passed, Nico smiles at them warmly. He nods towards his people, gesturing them all with the broken lightbulb. The small bits and pieces, almost like dust, make their way onto the crowd by Nico’s hand movements. They land on certain people, only those who hold true faith. Tyler’s surprised when his sister Maddy gets the biggest piece. Nico smiles with pride at such a young one holding such faith, walking up to her slowly and marking a small symbol on her cheek. It’s the Dema council symbol, Tyler realizes and looks over at Nico.

“You, my child, are a future member of the Dema council. Do not ever forget it. The faith you hold is important Maddy.” Nico speaks, lifting Maddy’s chin so her eyes can meet his.

Maddy nods and smiles at him. “Yes, of course, father Nico.”

Upon hearing this, Nico ruffles her hair before walking back to the podium. He gestures everyone to leave, waving at little Maddy as she walks back home. Maddy, not being disrespectful, waves back before holding Kelly’s hand. Tyler simply follows, walking back to the confinement of his room. He plops on the stiff bed, staring at the white light towers poised in the middle of the floor. They’re a replica of the Bishop towers. The brightest tower being Nico, showing him where he belongs; always.

Tyler turned his gaze towards the ceiling, bored out of his mind. He knew the bishops didn’t like the people creating, he learned that when he was nine. So he pushed all thoughts of creating away from his mind. Instead, he decided to visit one of the districts. He stands up and grabs a basket of food, not too much because his mother would get mad. He heads out to the Sacarver district, saying he’s visiting a friend.

The guards check the basket before nodding and letting him pass. He looks around at the familiar environment before heading to Jenna’s house. He knew that around this time, her parents were with the Dema Council, solving disappearance cases and organizing lookouts. He hums as he knocks on the door, smiling as Jenna opened it and laughing as she hugged him tightly. He pets her hair a little, it had been a while and he missed her.

“Where had you been? I thought you were the one who escaped last week.” She mumbles onto his shoulder.

“Sorry, Nico’s been pretty strict lately. I think it’s because of all the disappearances. I would never leave you alone here Jen.”

“I know… It still hurt. I’ve missed you, Ty.”

“I’ve missed you too.” He nuzzled their noses a little, an Eskimo kiss barely identifiable except for the two of them. “I brought your favorite fruits and some bread with jam today.”

Jenna smiles wide at him, leading him inside and closing the door behind them. It wasn’t common to have relationships from people in different districts to get accepted. It was mostly prohibited unless the two demonstrated their faith in perfect worshipping techniques. Jenna and Tyler knew that the only ones with perfect techniques have always been the Bishops or the Vialism fans. They didn’t want to be a part of it.

Jenna led Tyler into her room, letting him sit on the bed. Tyler lifted off the cloth that was covering the basket. While Tyler prepared some bread with jam, Jenna nibbled on the berries and apricots he brought.

“I’m glad you brought berries, we only get oranges around this time,” Jenna comments as she eats some boysenberries and raspberries.

“Oh? What’s wrong with oranges?”

“Sour.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Jenna nods and hums as Tyler hands her some bread with jam. She smiles after she bites into it, it’s blackberry jam. Tyler chuckles softly at it and kisses her cheek, Jenna leaning into it as she eats. These are the moments that are worth it for Tyler, seeing her smile so big when even smiling is frowned upon by some Bishops. It’s all he ever wants to see, Jenna being happy.

After Jenna finishes her bread and makes Tyler eat some berries, she lies down with him on the stiff bed in her room. Tyler is tracing doodles up and down her arm with his finger, “J + T” and hearts and butterflies and Jenna is smiling, watching him so concentrated. She kisses his forehead and he looks up at her icy blue eyes, falling a little more in love with her at her smile. They slowly inch closer until their lips meet in a soft kiss.

Slow and steady, as if it’s the last they might share. Tyler cups her cheeks, her hands rest at his forearms. He makes sure the kiss is soft but passionate. Jenna feels herself tear up at this, she knows that at some point one of the two will have to make the decision of breaking up in order to move on with their lives in their district. She slowly pulls away, feeling Tyler dry her tears.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not leaving any time soon.” He voices as he rubs circles on Jenna’s temples affectionately.

“But one of us will, we need to move on at some point Ty.”

“And when that time comes, we’ll both be mature enough to let each other go Jen.”

Jenna hugs him tightly. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“I don’t either. But we’re going to have to unless we do the worshipping techniques.”

Jenna sighs and kisses him again, this time harder than before, as if she stops kissing him, he’ll disappear. Tyler holds her closer at this, leaning back against the headboard so Jenna is on his lap, her arms around his neck and his hands on her hips. She pulls away momentarily, staring into his eyes, her pupils blown wide.

“I love you,” Tyler whispers like it’s a secret. Like someone could hear them.

“I love you too.” She whispers back, kissing his neck right after.

It was against the rules, they knew this. And it was also getting past their curfew, but they didn’t care. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, they missed each other so they figured it was okay. Keeping quiet, except for some gasps and sighs and maybe some hums, they made love. Slow, like it’s the last time they’ll experience it with each other, kissing throughout as if it were oxygen to them.

Afterward, they’re under covers and Tyler is leaving kisses and pecks on different spots of Jenna’s skin. She’s giggling, laughing even, at his silliness. Tyler nuzzles their noses together again, and something about Eskimo kisses on his orgasm-stupid mind makes his stomach do a backflip. He’s smiling wide at her and God, he’s so in love. So happy and so in love. Jenna wraps her arms around him and he runs his hands down her back. The warmth of their bodies is enough for them to not feel cold so late at night.

When it’s definitely half past midnight, Tyler pulls away to get dressed, he kisses Jenna goodbye and tells her he’ll be back soon. He kisses her for what seems like an eternity, pulling away with another whispered “I love you”, making his way to the gates. After they let him walk past them, back into his home, he makes sure he doesn’t make any sensors go off. When he’s safely in his room, he plops on the bed and stares at his ceiling again. He’s already missing her.

As he’s staring at the cracks in his ceiling, something catches his eye. Something was written in Josh’s handwriting. He stands on his bed to get a better look. It is violently scratched onto the surface, and it read: “Dema don’t control us” and “East is up”. Tyler frowns a little, he doesn’t get it. He traces his fingers over it, it wasn’t scratched too long ago. He says it out loud, trying to understand it.

“Dema don’t control us?” He traces over the other line. “East is up?”

That’s when the alarms go off. Tyler immediately peeks out the window, he thinks they may have heard him. Instead, he sees a bandito, cornered by four of the bishops. Tyler pants softly, he fears that it’s Josh. He can’t tell if it’s him simply because he’s so far and so high up. The vultures on his roof fly down to land on Nico’s shoulder. Tyler chews on his lip, the bandito looks up at Tyler and waves. He gasps, he notices a familiar bracelet.

He _is_ Josh.


	2. ||They want to make you forget.||

Tyler feels the color leave his skin when he hears the familiar bells resonating through Dema. It’s the pattern used to announce punishment, and Tyler stares at Josh like he’s stupid. Tyler runs down as Josh is getting dragged towards the platform being assembled by the remaining five bishops. The whole town gathers in Nico’s district, Jenna searching for Tyler fearing he got caught on his way back.

Josh is forcefully placed in the middle of the platform, handcuffing his wrists to the chains hanging from the supports above his head. The shirt is torn apart, revealing his back and chest to the public. Whipping, Tyler realizes and makes his way towards the first few rows. Josh is also from Nico’s district, Tyler knows he won’t let go of him easy. He chews on his lip as two bishops take out their whips, submerging them in water before doing a few tests on the ground.

The people look up at Nico, who looks like he’s about to speak.

“My people… It hurts me deeply when I am faced with this level of betrayal.” Nico turns to look at Josh. “My son, I gave you a home, food, a family, friends, and something to believe in… And you dare leave me? You dare leave everything I gave behind?” 

“It wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t _bullshit_.” Josh spat back.

Everyone drew in a gasp, Laura and Bill Dun let out a sob. Nico grabs Josh’s chin and forces him to look at him in the eyes. “You are in no place to act ungrateful Joshua.” Josh simply glares. “Thirty-five.”

“No!” Tyler shouts before he even realizes he spoke. Nico ignores him and signals Andre and Lisden to start whipping Josh.

For the first few times, Josh stumbles forward, determined to stay on his feet, by the time they reach number 13 Josh is on his knees. He’s sobbing and letting out screams with every whip. He can feel his skin tearing and his blood spilling down his back, he does his best to move away but to no avail. The whips keep reaching different spots on his skin and he feels a level of pain he never thought humans could reach.

“Josh!” Tyler screams for the tenth time. He tries to get on the platform, but someone holds him back.

“Tyler _please_.” Jenna pleads to him. She’s pulling him back even though all Tyler wants to do is push the whips out of their hands.

“No! Let, let me go! _Josh_!” He pushes Jenna off and runs to Josh.

Tyler hugs him tightly and makes Andre and Lisden momentarily pause their actions. Josh rests his head against Tyler’s shoulder and sighs, breathing heavily as he gets a moment of rest, even though most of his back has been split open. Tyler is sobbing onto Josh’s hair and petting it, he doesn’t fear much yet.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve got you, Josh, I’m here now.” Tyler whispers to him, feeling Nico step closer, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is Josh.

“Tyler, my son,” Nico kneels next to Tyler, setting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to ask you nicely; please move away from Joshua. He needs to finish his punishment. It’s only 22 more to go.”

Tyler holds onto Josh tighter. “No, no! I don’t want to.” Tyler says, he feels Josh sigh.

“Ty, come on. I’m almost, almost done, they’ll do this to you too.”

“I, I don’t care!”

“I do.” Josh cranes his neck to look up at him. “I’ll be alright I promise.”

“I, I can’t do it, Josh. I can’t let them hurt you.”

“Ty… I’ll be okay. It’ll take less time if you let them, let them continue.”

Tyler sighs shakily, it takes some more convincing from josh to get him to pull away from him with shaky hands, realizing they’re covered in blood. Nico nods at him approvingly and holds his hand tightly as they walk back to Nico’s original spot. He signals Andre and Lisden to resume as programmed, Tyler closes his eyes tightly and looks away. Josh’s screams are haunting, loud enough to echo throughout the area.

“You’re okay child, it’s going to be over soon.” Nico voices to Tyler.

“Why do you do this?” Tyler asks, tearful and disgusted.

Nico looks at him as if it pains him to punish. “Believe me, it hurts me to do this to you all. Unfortunately, there is no other method to make you understand not to behave this way.” Tyler can hear the whips hit harder and Josh’s voice sounding like it might rip his vocal cords to shreds. Nico holds his hand tightly as if attempting to soothe him. “Is he important to you?”

“He’s my best friend.”

Nico nods in understanding. “Maybe you should get better friends Tyler.”

Tyler looks at him like he’s crazy. “Why would I do that? He is to me what Nills is to you.”

“So, like a brother?”

“Like a brother.”

He looks over at Josh when the screaming finally ceases. His back is completely exposed, muscle and blood an angry red exposed with the sun shining bright against them. The sun was rising, and with its light everyone squinted at the bishops, waiting for them to voice instructions. Nico lets go of Tyler’s hand, and Tyler fights the urge to run back to Josh for a second time. He looks at Jenna, she’s got tears running down her face, looking at Josh with worry. His parents look down in shame, his siblings yelling at their parents to do _something_ about it.

“Let this be a lesson.” Nico’s voice roars through everyone’s ears. “Do not betray those who have given everything to you.” Nico looked over at Josh. “Let this be an example, of how harsh the consequences for being ungrateful can be. And learn to love what we have given you. We are already generous as it is.” Nico sighs and signals Sacarver to release Josh from the restraints. “You may all leave now.”

As the bishops went back to their towers in a group, Tyler runs towards Josh again and pulls him on his lap, holding his head in his hands. “Josh? Josh, you’re still with me?”

“Barely.” Josh opens his eyes to look at him. “Your hair is longer, I like it.”

Tyler pretends he didn’t hear that. “You’re so stupid you know that? So stupid.”

“Ty we should probably get him cleaned up.” Jenna’s voice rings through his ears.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Jenna helps Tyler support Josh on both of their shoulders, helping Josh walk back to his own secluded room, where Laura and Bill prepare a mix to clean his wounds. They lay him on his stomach, over the stiff mattress and wait. Once Laura gives him the bowl and some cotton balls, Tyler approaches Josh.

“Listen, this is going to hurt.” Tyler sighs, dipping the cotton ball into the strong-smelling liquid. “But it’ll help.”

“Just get it over with, Tyler,” Josh mumbles, his mouth pressed against the mattress.

Jenna sighs, dipping another cotton ball in the liquid. They both press them against different spots on Josh’s back, causing him to hiss and sob the whole time. When they’re done cleaning him off, they wrap him in bandages, slipping a shirt over his head and helping him sit up. Tyler runs the pad of his thumb, from temple to cheekbone and sighs. Josh sets his hand over Tyler’s, keeping it cupping his cheek. Jenna puts away the unused medical supplies, she’s never been bothered by their closeness, she knows Tyler is rather affectionate.

“You are fucking stupid.” Tyler finally speaks, after drinking in the features he so horribly missed.

“I know. But Ty… there’s so much more outside these walls.”

“What do you mean?”

Josh frowns and looks at Jenna, she turns away from him. “Jenna did they… you know. Did they?”

Jenna sighs and nods a little. “I tried to stop them, Sacarver pulled me away.”

“Guys, what’s going on?”

“You had escaped Ty, but had come back to try and lure me out,” Jenna speaks. “You brought yellow flowers back with you, I’m sure they’re somewhere in your room.”

Tyler frowns. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ty… don’t tell me they’ve made you forget.”

Jenna sighs, pointing at the small badge on Tyler’s sleeve.

FPE


	3. ||My heart is with you hiding, but my mind's not made||

“Failed perimeter escape?” Tyler asks, dumbfounded. “They never told me what it meant! They told me not to worry about it!”

“Ty… please calm down.” Jenna exclaims, she tries to get him to sit down but he just pushes her away. He walks towards a window, hands on his hips and stares outside.

Josh turns to look at Jenna, signaling her to let him ease off. It’s better to let Tyler cool down before speaking again. She scoffs at him, taking it as Josh thinking she doesn’t know her boyfriend. She sits on one of the chairs and crosses her arms, looking at Tyler with worry. Tyler runs a hand through his hair, pulling at it slightly. He sighs before turning to them again, eyes glazed over and nose tip turning pink.

“I can’t remember it.” He states dryly. “I’m trying but, but I can’t. I really can’t.”

“You got hypnotized,” Jenna speaks softly. “They erased so much from your memory, I didn’t think it was possible.”

“Tyler… how long do you think I’ve been gone?” Josh speaks, terrified of Tyler’s answer.

“Like, like a week?”

Josh turns to look at Jenna. She nods slowly before Josh speaks. “Tyler… Tyler I’ve been gone for three months.”

“Three months?!” Tyler switches his eyes quickly between Jenna and Josh. “ _Three?_ Were you just- _not_ planning to tell me, Jenna?”

Jenna chews on her lip. “I didn’t know how to tell you when they brought you back you were passed out, so limp. I thought they had killed you, I was just glad _you were still alive._ ” Her bottom lip trembles. “The first few days you didn’t know who _I_ was.”

“So you don’t remember Debby?” Josh asks, hurt staining his voice. “Or Brendon? Patrick?”

“No?”

“Not even Hayley or Halsey?”

Tyler looks down. “They sound familiar, but I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Josh let’s out a sigh, glaring at the array of lightbulbs in the center of his room as if he were trying to make them explode. Tyler paces around the room as if it would bring him any answers.

“You really don’t remember anything?” Josh asks after a few minutes.

“No… no not at all.”

Josh tears up a little. “You think they’ll hypnotize _me?_ I can’t forget about Debby. I just can’t.”

“They hypnotized him after five escape attempts Josh. I don’t know how he’s not dead.” Jenna sighs. “They won’t hypnotize you yet unless you escape a few more times. Nico thinks of you as a devoted child, he thinks you’ll go back to your old ways.”

“Wait, wait, wait- _five?_ ” Tyler interrupts.

“Yes Ty, five.” Jenna answers. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t tell you. You barely recognized your own sister and-”

“So you were waiting until Josh came back?!” Tyler screams at her.

“Well yeah but-”

“You knew he’d get punished! You knew Nico would-”

“He’s the only one who knows you better than me! I thought he’d be able to help me!” Jenna is standing now while Tyler is panting out of anger.

“You... You knew he’d get punished.”

“He knew so too! But you’re his best friend _you’re my boyfriend_ so he thought it was worth it to come back and help you out. When I told you the first time you totally shrugged me off!”

“Alright, stop it!” Tyler stood there in disbelief. “I have nothing to say to you other than you disgust me. You’d let someone go through pain like this just to get your old Tyler back.”

“Jenna…” Josh spoke, pointing at Tyler’s neck and hands. They were turning black. “What’s that?”

Jenna stares with wide eyes, stepping back from him. “Tyler… Tyler calm down.”

“That’s not going to happen Jenna.” He looks down at his hands and then at the lightbulbs in the middle of the room, touching Nico’s and watching it glow an angry red. “I am a new Tyler, a better version of myself.”

Jenna widens her eyes and holds Tyler’s head in between her hands. “Look at me. Look at me right now.”

She holds Tyler’s face, watching the black around his neck get darker and darker, keeps his head in place until he does move his tree-bark eyes to her icy ones. She stares deep into him, searching for something. She widens her eyes and reaches for a piece of Josh’s tape, holding it in front of him. Tyler’s angry gaze soon softens, the black around his hands and neck slowly disappearing the more he stares at the tape. He collapses onto Jenna’s arms, where she holds him tightly and pets his hair, repeating small it’s okay’s and I’m right here’s. She sits down on the floor with him, holding him close and kissing his forehead to try and get him back.

“What in the ever loving fuck did they do to you?” Josh asks, breaking the silence.   


End file.
